Patent GB-241288-A (GB)
Abstract: 241,288. Debenham, E. R., Rowley, C. D., and Jackson, W. July 17, 1924. Multiplying-apparatus.-Relates to apparatus such as is described in Specification 223,667 for effecting multiplication by the use of sets of rods capable of lateral displacement and of endwise movement, for the purpose of feeding-in values and determining results, and consists in an embodiment whereby a single bank of keys is used for setting both factors and, by the use of escapement-controlled carriages, the product of two factors up to a maximum of 99 x 999 can be obtained and exhibited. The first factor is set up, digit by digit reading from the left, on the keys 11 (Figs. 2 and 3) thus in conjunction with cams on a carriage L swinging selected rod sets mounted on a carriage K. The second factor is then similarly set up by means of the keys, the carriage K meanwhile having moved to a position beneath the first of a number of groups of impulse-transmitting rods in the portion M of the machine. The successive depressions of keys in setting up the second factor cause these latter rods to be raised and thus present, by their upper ends, indications or representations of partial products. On completion of the movement of the carriage to the right these representations are automatically conveyed into the adding portion Q where they are converted into the complete product which is then displayed as at V16. The partial products are composed or built up from the four digits 1, 1, 2, 5 these with their combinations sufficing to represent any number from 1 to 9. Key setting-mechanism. The keys 11 (Figs. 2. 3 and 5) vertically guided, and spring-pressed upwardly by an universal bail 24, are connected to levers 14 linked at their rear ends to yokes 17 pivoted at 18, and arranged in two groups. Slidable vertically in slotted guide plates 19 are knife-like plates extending across the machine beneath the track of carriage K and thus capable of raising rods in this carriage in any of its positions. Carriage K. In this carriage are disposed twenty sets of rods arranged in groups of five, each group corresponding with units and tens and each set consisting of a number of verticallydisplaceable rods 34 guided in a lower relativelyfixed bar 33 and an upper longitudinally shiftable bar 32. A complete set of these rods is shown in Fig. 6 and below it is a diagram indicating the number and arrangement of the rods in the five sets constituting the unit sub-group of the unit group (see Fig. 1). From the diagram (Fig. 6) it can be seen that all the sets of rods are not complete. Thus the A set contains eight rods corresponding with the digits 1-9 except 5. The B set has a similar series of rods on one side of its guide bars but these bars also carry on their other side two rods (value 4, 6) disposed in the plane of the rods of the next or C set and taking the place of the regular rods of this set. Similar arrangements occur in the C and D sets, the latter also containing the rod of value 5. The E set has only two rods (3, 7). The upper guide bars have each three notches 36, co-operating with a positioning blade 35 so that when a rod in a set is raised and by the action of a cam in carriage L inclines to the right or left the guide bar will be shifted to disengage the central notch and engage either of the neighbouring notches with the blade. The swinging to right or left of the various rod sets A - - E endows the individual rods with potential values capable of realization subsequently by the action of the rods upon the transmitting rods in the portion M of the machine. These values are shown in the diagram in Fig. 6 and taking set B as an example it can be seen that when this set is swung to the left the 2 rod has a value 2 and the 1 rod a value 1 but the 3 rod has no value. Similarly, with a right swing the 2 and 1 rods become valueless while the 3 rod receives a value 2. So far as this group of rods is concerned therefore the depression of say the 2 key to set the first factor effects through the action of the cams a left swing of sets A, B and a right swing of set C. No swinging of sets D, E will occur owing to the absence of the corresponding 2 rods from these sets. As a result of this positioning of the rod sets and when the carriage K stands below the rods in portion M the depression of the 2 key again will cause the representation by these rods of the value 1 + 2 + 1 = 4. Again, if the second factor had been 4 instead of 2 the sets swung as before would produce the indication 1+5+2=8, the 5 resulting from the left swung of set B and its effect on the C rod carried by the guide bars of the set. Two of the values in the diagram (Fig. 6) are 6 and not 1, 2 or 5 and this is due to an interconnection between rods in the M part. of the machine whereby the raising of a rod (value 1) produces the rise of another (value 5). The tens groups of rods 34 are similar to the units groups but the sets in these tens groups have no 1 rod and in some cases no 2 rod also. Cam carriage L. As stated above, the swing- ing of the rod sets in carriage K is produced by engagement between a raised rod 34 and a cam in the cam carriage L. These cams consist of inclined edges of members 42, (see Fig. 18 for example), secured to bars 41 of which there are ten disposed side by side in the carriage L which is capable of taking up two positions (See Fig. 1, (a) and (b)) for the purpose of setting up the tens and units digits of the first factor. The direction and number of the cams vary in the case of the different bars 41 so as to swing the different rod sets to right or left or not at all according to the key and rod operated. Multiplying section M. This consists of denominational groups v, w, x, y, z of verticallymovable rods 56 each group w, x, y containing ten sets allotted by fives to units and tens in the respective denominations, while the v and z groups each have five sets corresponding respectively with tens of thousands and units (see Fig. 1). The sets of rods differ as regards the number of rods and the form of their lower ends and moreover there are sundry arrangements adopted for interconnecting the sets so that the operation of a rod 34 in one plane may produce movement of a rod 56 in another plane. These arrangements in some instances consist in cranking the rods to bring their lower ends into the neighbouring plane and in other cases there are co-operating projections on the rods 56 so that the ascent of one rod produces movement of one or more other rods. Fig 7 shows in side view the rods 56<a> pertaining to the A set in one of the units groups and therefore adapted to be operated upon by the A set of rods 34 when the carriage K is positioned accordingly. The rods 56<a> are guided below by a fixed bar 52 and at their upper ends bv a bar 53<a> capable of movement to the left by two successive steps, being held in each position by a dog 55 and one of three notches 54. When the rods 34 are inclined one way or the other, they will be in position to abut against and raise certain of the rods 56<a>, and in this particular instance each rod 34 will be effective in either direction of inclination. The rod, value 3, with a right swing and the rod, value 9, with a left swing however would cause two rods 56 to rise, namely a rod 56<a> and a rod 56<d> in the D set, these two rods being interconnected by lugs. All rods 56<a> when projected upwards have a value of 1 and all rods in the D set have a value 5 so that the actuation of a rod 34 having the value 3 or 9 and swung right or left will produce a total value of 6. The other sets of rods 56 are somewhat more complicated than the A set owing to the provision of the cross connections referred to above. Thus in the case of the C set, Fig. 13, it can be seen that the first rod 56<c> on the left is bent at its lower end to enter the plane of the B set of rods 34 so that when a rod 34 value 2 in this B set is swung to the left and raised it effects the rise, not of a rod 56 in the B set which would produce a value of 1 only but of a rod 56<c> giving a value 2 (see diagram Fig. 6). It should be noted that the projection of a. rod 56 in the A or B sets gives a result of 1, a rod in the C set gives 2 and a rod in the D or E set gives 5 so that by the operation of any of these rods singly or in combination anv value from 1 to 9 mav be obtained. A variation of the rods 56 is seen in Fig. 16 in that certain of these have duplicate lower ends to co-operate with two of the rods 34. The manner in which the rods 34 of the five sets A - - E cooperate with the superposed rods 56 is shown in one case in Fig. 27. In this Figure it is assumed that by the depression of a key to set the first factor all the sets of rods 34 have been swung to the right. Now upon depression of the 3 key to enter the second factor, rods 34 will rise in all five planes but only those in planes A, B, D and E will find rods 56 above them and these will therefore be pushed up to give a result of 1+1+2+8=9. In this particular case two rods 56<d> will be raised, one of which is cranked from plane E, but this will not affect the indication of 5 as this is given by the projection of any rod in the set and is not affected by the rise of other rods in the same set. The sets of rods 66 grouped in fives and serving to register the tens in each denomination are similar to the sets of rods 56 in form, arrangement and the matter of cross-sections. Fig. 47 shows the set in the I plane and illustrates the use of cranked and duplicated rods and also of a further variation by enlargement of the ends to render some of the rods 66 operative by neighbouring rods 34. The values indicated or entered by the upper ends of the rods 66 in the various planes F, G, I, J are respectively 1, 1, 2, 5 but the H rods, having a value of 2, are not connected to their guide bar 63h but are guided by pins on the adjacent bar 63i in the I plane. Consequently the